Garment-hanger.



R. C. BANGS.

GARMENT HANGER.

APPLICATION FiLED APR. I6, 1915.

1 Q28,636 Patented June 5,1917.

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RALPH C. BANGS, F CRANSION, RHODE I$LANID, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH TO PHILIP H. CADBY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

GARMENT-HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed April 16, 1915. Serial No. 21,804.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RALPH C. Barres, a citizen of the United States, and resident of lfidgewood, city of Cranston, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garment hangers of the class designed more especially for the support of trousers, skirts or other wearing apparel to retain the garments in proper shape without creases or wrinkles when not in use.

The object of this invention is to provide such a rack or hanger having a plurality of individual bars cooperating with pivoted clamping members for automatically gripping and retaining a garment between them, whereby the end of the garment may be engaged and the greater the weight of the garment the tighter the grip upon the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hinge whereby it may be supported in'a horizontal position to facilitate positioning the garment-therein, which hinge also permits the rack to be swung down into a vertical position when desired, to take up the minimum amount of space.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1- is a perspective view of the hanger showing the frame in horizontal position and a plurality of garments hung therein.

Fig. 2- shows the frame partly in section with one of the sides removed and as swung down on its hinge to hang in a vertical position.

Fig. 3- shows a portion of the frame in section and set in a horizontal position illustrating the action of the clamping members against the cross-bars to gri-pand retain the garments.

Fig. 4- is a plan view of a portion of the frame partly in section showing the clamping members pivotally mounted therein.

Fig. 5- is a perspective View showing one form of clamping member comprising a wire loop with its ends offset from the body hinge.

Fig. 7 illustrates the hinge portion as moved downward to bring the pivot out of the off-set portion of the slot whereby its inner and lower edge is moved into contact with the base member to support the frame in horizontal position.

Referring to the drawings 10 designates the frame portion of my improved hanger which may be formed of any desired material and in any desired shape, but the same is herein illustrated as being formed of wood and in a hollow rectangular shape having two side members 19 and and two end members 21 and 22, said frame being provided with a plurality of transverse crossbars 11 placed at intervals throughout the length of the frame. In each space 12 be tween these bars, I have mounted a clamp ing member 13. This clamping member may be made in any suitable form, the essential feature being that it must have a clamping edge 14L to swing toward its adjacent bar to bite the garment against the bar. I have, however, shown this clamping member as formed of wire, see Fig. 5, having its end portions 17 bent back at substantially right angles with the gripping edge 14 thereof and the extremities of the wire then turned outward forming pivots 15 and 16 which engage corresponding recesses 18 in the opposite side bars of the frame, whereby when the gripping or binding member is thus pivotally mounted in position in the frame its engaging edge 14 cooperates with the wall of an adjacent cross-bar to bind and hold the garment between them the extent of the biting action being in proportion to the weight of the garment.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of means whereby the rack may be held or supported in a horizontal position to facilitate placing of the garments therein. This function may be accomplished in many different ways but in order to do this in a simple manner, I have formed a pair of hinge members 23 and 2% which may be secured by screws or other suitable means to a base 25, each member having an outwardly turned flange 26. I have also provided hinged plates 27 and 28 secured by screws or otherwise to extend beyond the end of the rack member and extend into engagement with aforesaid fixed hinged members 23 and 24:. Each of these plates as best illustrated in Figs. (5 and 7 is pro vided with an elongated slot 29 whichis off-set at its lower end 30 in the direction of the base-plate, whereby when it is desired to support the hanger in a horizontal position the hinge member is pressed downward as shown in Fig. 7 bringing the hinge pivot at the upper end of the slot which causes the edge 3101; the rearwardly extending ,portion, to engage the base and so prevent the frame from swinging downward, but when it is desired to release the frame and permit it to drop to a vertical position the hinged plates are raised bringing the pivot 29 down into the off-set portion of the slot thereby moving the hinge plates outward into position illustrated in Fig. 5, whereby the edge 32 is permitted to swing past the base plate and permit the frame to drop. In operation the device is preferably formed complete with the base-board 33 to which the hinged members are connected. This base-board member may then be attached to the wall or to the inside of a clothes press door and when it is desired to hang garments in the rack the same is raised to a horizontal position and the hinged end moved downward into position illustrated in Fig. 7 which causes the rack to remain in that position as long as desired. In hanging a garment in the rack it is only necessary to raise one of the gripping members 13, pass the ends of the trouser legs a up through one of the spaces between the wall of the adjacent cross-bar and the gripping edge 14 of the binding member, then by re leasing the latter it falls into engagement,

with the; surface of the fabric and when a pull on the garment is exerted due. toits which brings a crease in the most exposed portion of the garment which eifect is quite undesirable. Then again in supporting a skirt, it may be hung by the binding edge and in this way no crease will be made in the exposed part of the fabric. After the desired number of garments have been hung in the rack, it is only necessary to raise the hinged end which permits the frame to fall provided with side bars connected by transverse permanently spaced partitions, and gravity operating clamping members pivotally attached to said side bars near the lower edges thereof, and adjacent a transverse partition, and each extending diagonally upward and having a free longitudi nal edge cooperating with one side of a partition spaced from the first mentioned partition, to form a garment supporting clamp.

2. A garment hanger comprising a frame provided with side bars connected by transverse permanently spaced partitions, and bent wire clamping members having oifset ends pivotally engaging said side bars, near the lower edges thereof, and adjacent a transverse partition, and each having a straight body portion cooperating with one side of a partition spaced from the first mentioned partition, to. form a garment supporting clamp.

3. A garment hanger comprising a frame provided with side bars connected by transverse permanently spaced partitions, gravity operated clamping members cooperating with said partitions to form garment supporting clamps, ears attached to said side walls and having transverse slots provided with offset ends, andia supporting member provided with pins entering said slots, whereby said frame may be selectively supported in a vertical or horizontal position. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH C. BANGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressing thefiflommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C, 

